Hill Country "If You Gotta Have It!" Peach Chipotle Sauce
Sweet and Tangy Sauce
Creating a sauce for Hill Country restaurant in New York City, where I am the executive chef, was a lot harder than it sounds. First off, the Texas barbecue that we celebrate doesn't use sauce—it's a no-sauce zone! But since we were going to be in the Big Apple, we knew that we had to have a sauce—thus the "if you gotta have it" name. The owner, Marc Glosserman, and I must have tasted 300 or more sauces to find a style that we thought would go with our simple salt-and-pepper-rubbed barbecue. At one pre-opening cookout, we had three long tables literally covered with different sauces! We finally decided on a sweet, red, high-vinegar sauce studded with chunks of the famous Fredericksburg, Texas, peaches and infused with a smoky bite from chipotles. It's great, but don't just take my word for it; it won an award of excellence from the National Barbecue Association!
Ingredients
Cooking Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, sugar, molasses, 1/2 cup of the peach preserves, the ketchup, chili sauce, vinegars, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring after each additional ingredient to combine. Add the chipotle powder and simmer until the flavors have blended and the sauce has thickened somewhat, about 30 minutes. Taste and add more vinegar if needed; you should taste a tang of vinegar and then the sweetness of the sauce.
Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes or until it is warm but no longer "boiling" hot. Puree using an immersion or traditional blender. Add the remaining 1/4 cup peach preserves. Taste and adjust seasonings with the salt. Let sit for 5 minutes, and then stir again. Let cool. The sauce will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Brush it on food 5 to 15 minutes before the cooking time is finished. If desired, serve extra on the side.
This recipe was styled by chef Karen Pickus for "Good Morning America."
Elizabeth Karmel, executive chef Hill Country Barbecue Market – NYC and Washington, D.C.
Recipe adapted from Soaked, Slathered and Seasoned by Elizabeth Karmel (John Wiley & Sons, 2009).
Recipe Summary
Main Ingredients: tomatoes, brown sugar, molasses, peach preserves
Course: Main Course, Party Platter
More Info: Kids Friendly
